Sea Breeze
by Homura Bakura
Summary: [request] [oneshot] [AU] Atem is the captain of a small rogue pirate ship with his friends, on a journey to find out where he came from before he was found washed up on a beach without any memories by Yugi. But at this port, he might just find one of the first pieces of his lost memory, tied up in the wind... Vaseshipping


_Swish. Swish. Swish._

He sat on the very edge, like always, his legs dangling over the railing towards the blue sea lapping gently at the sides of the great ship. His fingers idly played across the golden pendant around his neck. The metal was warm to the touch, as though there were a heart beating inside it.

"Sky's clear," he murmured.

A stiff sea breeze blew into his face, causing his golden bangs to flutter against his cheeks. It almost stole his wide brimmed hat, and he reached up to hold it in place.

"Atem!"

Atem glanced down from the railing. Yugi was standing on the lower deck.

"Ah, sorry to distract you!" he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "But I thought you might want to know that we're going to be making port in about three hours! Faster if we can get a good wind!"

_Wind._

"_Don't worry, captain! I'll get us a good wind and we'll be there in no time!"_

He frowned slightly at the memory. He had been getting a lot those, lately. Little fragments that tugged at his thoughts. How long would it be before all the details of his life from before two years ago came back? Who exactly was he and where did he come from?

Then he remembered that Yugi was staring up at him, and quickly smiled. No need to make Yugi worry – the young boy seemed to do that enough without Atem adding to it.

"Thanks, Yugi. I'll be down in a minute."

Yugi nodded cheerily.

"Take your time, captain!"

He grinned as he said 'captain,' and Atem had to grin too. Yugi hopped back out of sight, probably heading back below deck where Jonouchi and Honda were probably playing cards, Mai was probably cleaning guns that didn't need to be cleaned, Shizuka was probably pushing more food onto Rebecca and insisting that she needed to eat more good food, Anzu was probably trying to keep the boys from killing each other, and Ryo was probably sitting with that notebook of his, smiling slightly as he listened to the boys banter and argue over the card game.

Atem tilted his head back and sighed, letting the sea breeze wash over him.

This was all he was certain of. This was all he completely remembered – the feeling of the wind rushing around him, bringing the scent of salt and brine with it. A comforting feeling. He couldn't remember any of his life before two years ago, before the day Yugi had found him washed up on a beach with no memories except for an age and a name.

_Where did I come from?_

He had hoped coming out to the ocean, finding his own ship and his own way, would help him to find out. He had hoped it would stir up memories again.

Well...in a way, it had. He had been getting small fragments. Just pieces of dialogue, or impressions, mostly.

He sighed. Then he swung his legs over the railing and back onto the deck.

It was quiet. Perhaps he would go down and spend some time in the warmth and cheer of his crew. His friends.

Or perhaps he would wait out here, feeling the wind, and hoping that memories would come with it.

**. . .**

A rush of torchlight and the sounds of people shouting over each other to be heard spilled onto the street with the opening of the tavern doors.

"I'll go haggle for the supplies," Mai said. "Yugi, wanna help?"

"Sure! Meet you later," he said to Atem.

"No problem," Atem said. "I'm going to see if I can't figure out where the navy's focused right now."

Yugi nodded, and hopped off to follow Mai to the tavern's bar. Nobody could haggle like Mai Kujaku, and nobody remembered their budget better than Yugi – it was a perfect team for when they made landfall.

Jonouchi and Honda had excused themselves earlier to grab something to eat, and Anzu, Rebecca, and Shizuka had gone downtown – they really enjoyed their all too infrequent visits to the port. Ryo was at the bookshop, like usual. Atem smiled slightly. He wished they were able to stay on land more often – but with the navy always on their tail...it just wasn't feasible.

Where would they go next, he wondered as he wove his way through the crowded tavern towards the bar. Admiral Seto Kaiba had been pretty close on their tail recently. He needed all the information about navy movements he could get.

He slid into a stool at the bar and quietly ordered a small ale. The barkeeper slid his drink down to him and Atem nodded. He waited for a few moments, as usual, just sipping at his ale and listening for a while. He had found that just listening often brought more information than blatantly asking questions. At the very least, it guided him to know which questions to ask, and to whom he should ask them.

A few seats down, a very slight figure approached the bar.

"I'd like to order an ale, please," said a young, feminine voice.

Atem tensed. Did he...know that voice?

He leaned back slightly, trying to get a look at the owner of the voice. The two men between them, however, were very broad and blocked his view. All he could see was the curve of a back clad in a baggy, canvas colored shirt, the tassels of a maroon scarf dangling from the hips. A second belt hung around her waist as well, just a length of rope with various knots tied in it.

_A wind knot,_ he thought.

Then he paused. What was a wind knot? And why was he thinking of it?

"Excuse me," the voice said again, as the barkeeper passed her. "Hate to bother you, but do you know where I can get cheap ship repairs?"

The barkeeper grunted at her.

"Why's a little thing like you wanna know about a thing like that?" he said.

"My ship needs repairs," she repeated. "Where can I find someone who will do it cheaply?"

"You have a ship?"

"Yeah."

The barkeeper let out a chortle.

"Sure. And I'm the governor of Port Domino. Find someone else to play games with you, missy."

He moved on down the bar when someone shouted at him for a refill. Atem leaned a bit over the bar, thinking perhaps he could see the girl from this side of the two men. They were leaning over the bar, however, and all he could see was a pair of bronzed hands gripping her drink a little tighter.

Atem's throat felt dry. He glanced down at his own bronzed hands. He rarely met anyone that had skin his color. Could she...perhaps she knew...

A rather tall figure clad in a long, brown coat made his way over to the bar, coming to stand behind the girl.

"Any luck?" he heard a soft voice ask.

"No. Nobody takes me seriously," she said, a pout in her voice.

"We don't have a lot of time."

"I know."

The taller man's voice dropped even lower, and Atem had to strain to hear.

"One of the navy's ships is on its way here," he said. "I've checked the winds...they'll be here at dawn. We need to get the ship fixed or get a new one before the sun rises or we're done for."

Atem saw the girl's hands tighten on the drink.

"Okay. I understand. I'll ask some people around the bar instead.

"I'll pressure the barkeep."

"Thanks."

She spun in her chair and hopped onto the ground, and now Atem could see her baggy black pants tucked into her tall brown boots, and the way that her baggy shirt drooped on one shoulder. She wore a floppy black hat over her thick brown hair that was held away from her emerald eyes with a maroon scarf that matched her belt.

He sucked in a breath.

He knew her.

He knew her.

Who was she?

Those eyes...he knew those eyes, that face, that bouncy walk she took each step –

He leaned so far back in his chair to see her that he almost fell over. He managed to catch himself, but he made a clunky noise when his flailing foot kicked the bar, and her eyes snapped up at his motion.

Her mouth dropped open.

"Atem?" she whispered.

Even in the noise of the bar, he could hear the voice as clear as day. A name jumped to the tip of his tongue, but he could not get it out, could not quite get a grasp on it.

"You're..." he started.

Then she flung herself across the room and threw her arms around his neck, nearly dragging him out of his seat and onto the floor. He grabbed the bar to steady them.

"Oh my – oh thank – Atem! It's you, it's really you, I knew it! I knew you were okay! I knew that – I knew that I'd find you – oh thank the gods – you're alive, you're alive, you're alive –"

Then she hesitated when she realized he wasn't hugging her back. He had kind of frozen at her touch, shocked at her familiarity. She knew him. She knew him. He had found someone from his mysterious past. This felt...familiar. Her warmth, the tightness of her grip around him, the sea-wind scent of her hair. He knew this. He knew all of this.

So why couldn't he remember her name?

She pulled away from him, dropping her hands to her side. There were tears in her eyes, and one had started to make its way down her cheek.

"It...it is you, right?" she whispered. "Why are...you looking at me...like that?"

He flinched slightly.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Yes...I...my name is Atem...and I...I know you...don't I..."

A powerful wave of pain rushed through his head. This time, he really did fall out of his chair.

"Atem!" the girl cried.

She dropped to her knees beside him. By then, the pain had mostly vanished, but there was a small thumping at the sides of his temples.

"I'm – I'm fine. I'm sorry," he said. "I...I'm so sorry."

_Sorry that I can't remember you, sorry that I can't say your name when it looks like that's all you want to hear from me...sorry that I disappeared from you and that I can't greet you the way you want me too..._

"Have you...forgotten me?" she whispered.

He winced at another flash of pain behind his eyes.

"I'm – I'm so sorry. I can't remember...anything...except my name..."

The stricken look on her face sent an actual pain through his chest. No, that wasn't true. He knew her. He knew her – her name, why wouldn't it come to him...?

He reached out tentatively.

"But I...when I saw you...I...I know you..."

He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, dropping his hand inches from her face.

"Dammit," he murmured. "Why can't I...?"

An angry tear rolled out of the corner of his eye. Dammit! He was right here! He was so close! Why couldn't he remember?

Her soft hand touched his shoulder tentatively. Then he felt her leaning forward and hugging him again.

"It's okay," she said. "Don't push yourself. I'm just...so glad...that you're...alive..."

He could feel her tears dropping against his shoulder.

Yes. He knew this feeling. He _knew_ the feeling of her arms around him...so why...her name was...

The doors slammed open. Instantly, everything went silent. The girl jerked away from him and his eyes snapped open.

The tall, imposing form of Admiral Seto Kaiba stood in the doorway. Atem swore under his breath.

"Keep out of sight," he hissed, drawing the girl back. She nodded, and they positioned themselves behind a table so that Kaiba wouldn't be able to see them.

"How did he get here so fast?" she whispered. "The navy ship wasn't supposed to be here until dawn..."

"I think he's been waiting for me," Atem whispered back. "He's tricky. He probably hid his ship elsewhere and waited for me to make port...damn."

She looked at him, eyes wide.

"You have a ship?" she whispered.

"Huh? Yeah."

"A new one?"

"In a manner of speaking..."

"And it's seaworthy?"

"Yeah."

He remembered her conversation from before with a start.

"That's right, your ship is..."

Seto Kaiba's voice boomed across the tavern.

"I am looking for this man," he said, and Atem could hear the sound of parchment unfurling. Atem's wanted poster, he was sure. "Anyone who turns him in will be given the reward listed.

The girl peeped around the table.

"Hey, that's you," she whispered. "What kind of trouble have you been getting yourself into while I was gone?"

"Too much," Atem whispered back. "We need to go out the back."

"Right-o!"

He glanced around the tavern, looking for Mai and Yugi. He caught Yugi's gaze – the boy was pressed against the back door, waving frantically. Mai was peeking through from outside with one eye, her pistol barrel sticking through the crack in the door. Atem nodded and waved at them to go through. He nodded at the door on the other side of the bar and sent them a thumb's up. Yugi looked pale, but nodded. He started to slip through the door with Mai.

"There! That's one of his crew members!" Seto shouted suddenly. "Arrest them!"

The clomping of navy boots ran towards the door where Yugi was trying to escape. Atem swore.

With a shout, Mai threw the door fully open and cocked her pistol. The crack and smell of gunpowder filled the air. Instantly, chaos ensued.

Someone overturned a table and glasses shattered and drinks spilled. More gunfire cracked through the tavern.

"Here ya are!" shouted a burly man, looming up over Atem. "Found ya! I'm gonna get a big reward out of you!"

Atem was still on the ground – not enough room to grab his sword. He reached for his pistol instead. Faster than the man could blink, Atem had pulled, cocked, and fired his pistol, striking the man right above the knee. He howled with pain.

"Let's go!" Atem shouted, leaping to his feet and dragging the girl up with him.

"Wait! Mahad is still in here!" she shouted.

_Mahad_.

The name rippled through him and he almost fell over. It was something he knew –

"Atem, watch out!"

Metal clanged against metal. Atem jerked out of his reverie. The girl had pulled a sword and caught the blade of Seto Kaiba – just above Atem's head. His cold blue eyes flared – although with anger or excitement, it was hard to tell.

"Picked up another doll with a sword, did you?" he said, glancing at the girl. "I don't recognize this one."

Atem's own blade flashed from its sheath. Seto yanked his blade back from the girl's and came to meet Atem's strike. The blade flicked up and around Atem's blocked blade. He was going for the stomach – Atem leaped back and hit his legs against a table. With a practiced leap, he jumped back and landed on the table itself.

"Felt like being taller than everyone for once?" Seto said, smirking.

Atem couldn't help but grin himself, excitement flooding through him to match the expression in Seto's eyes.

"What, are you sore about being the short one this time?" he said.

He flashed his blade for Seto's head. Seto caught the blow with his blade and stabbed inward. Atem hollowed out just in time – the blade whistled an inch from his stomach. Atem slashed again and managed to take off Seto's fancy admiral hat – he never understood navy uniforms.

"Want this?" he asked with a grin, dangling the hat over Seto's head on the point of his blade.

Seto kicked the table. The hat fell off Atem's sword as he stumbled backwards. He accidentally stepped on a fallen cup.

_Damn!_

He fell with a crash backwards onto the floor. He lay there for just a second too long – his head spun and his ears rang.

The tip of Seto's sword pressed lightly into Atem's chest. A smirk was growing on Seto's face.

"Finally," he said. "You're under arrest."

_Damn._

Where were Mai and Yugi? Seto must have noted the flick of Atem's eyes, because his smile just grew a bit wider.

"Your two crewmates are currently being arrested," he said. "It's finally checkmate, Atem."

Atem's jaw clenched. Damn! If Seto hadn't kicked that damn table...!

"Get _away_ from him!"

Atem's head snapped to the side.

The girl was standing on the bar, holding her rope belt with the knots in front of her. Her fingers were poised over one of the knots, as though she were about to undo it.

Seto snorted.

"And what are you going to do with that?" he said dismissively. "Arrest her too."

"I just found him again," she said, eyes fiery with rage. "I'm not going to let you take him away!"

She pulled the knot loose.

A roaring wind exploded through the tavern. The soldiers who had been coming to arrest her were flung back. They hit the walls on the opposite side of the tavern and collapsed to the ground. Tables flew into the air. Seto's sword ripped from his fingers. He swore and ducked under a flying glass. Atem rolled under a table lifting into the air.

The wind grabbed at him, angry, stormy, bringing a thick scent of salt and sea with it – a sea storm wind _inside_ a tavern?

_Wind knots_, he thought again. _She can tie the wind into her knots and let them go._

He had known this – it was coming to him in a rush. A horrible storm, wrenching around them. Then the tall man with the long, dark brown hair and bronzed skin tying a knot in his rope and the wind fell still. The tall man sitting with the girl in front of him, guiding her fingers into practicing her knots. The way she would untie certain knots, and let out calm, stiff breezes that would fill their sails and turn them towards their destination. The next terrible storm, with the tall man sick below deck and the girl trying every knot she knew frantically but being unable to fully seal the storm – the wind picking Atem up and throwing him into the sea, and the last thing he could hear was her scream –

Wind. He could remember the wind.

He pulled himself along the floor towards the bar. She stood completely firm against the wind as though untouched, still atop the bar. He could see Mai and Yugi and the tall man with the dark brown hair and the brown coat managing to pull themselves behind the tavern where the wind did not seem to reach. He pulled himself to his feet, hands up against the wind.

He had to reach her. He couldn't let the wind take him again.

"Mana!" he shouted.

She gasped.

The wind died.

Without the wind to push against, he wobbled, and dropped to his knees.

Mana – _her name was Mana_ – stood on the bar, staring at him, emerald eyes wide and teary.

"You..." she whispered. "You...remember...?"

He swallowed through a dry throat.

"Not everything," he murmured. "But I...I remember you..."

She drew in a breath, but it was choked. With a sob, she jumped from the bar and flung herself on him.

This time, he wrapped his arms around her too.

"Mana," he whispered. "Mana. Mana."

He wanted to say it, over and over and over. He had to remind himself that he had remembered, that he knew her, that he was one step closer to remembering it all.

He quickly remembered where they were when he heard the groans of people starting to pick themselves up.

"We have to go," he said, drawing back from her. "You have a crew too, right?"

"They're all your old crew," she said, sniffling through her smile.

Atem smiled, almost wonderingly. His old crew. He had had a crew before?

"Let's go get them, and get out of this port," he said. "Think you can stir us up a wind to get out of here?"

"I think I can!" she said, smiling broadly.

**. . .**

_Swish. Swish. Swish._

He sat on the very edge, like always. The stiff magic breeze brought the scent of the sea with it, filling up their sails and pushing them out to the open ocean at a fast clip.

"Atem!"

Her arms flung around his shoulders.

"Gah! Geez, Mana, you're going to push me into the ocean!"

Mana leaned her head over his shoulder so that she could grin at him.

"And then I'd magic up a wind to blow you back up! I've gotten a lot better since last we met!"

Atem smiled.

He didn't remember everything. Not yet.

But he had the familiar feeling of her arms around his shoulders, and the scent of the wind washing over him.

The sky was clear...and the future along with it.

**. . .**

**A/N: It's done! It's done! I'm so sorry for the wait, Aqua girl 007! Happy belated birthdaaaay! I hope you liked it! 3**


End file.
